Archive for February, 2013

Try the following tips to help plan a week that will leave you feeling good, inside and out. If you are receiving treatment for a mental health problem, these tips can help you manage your illness and support your treatment and recovery.

Sunday – Relax. Try meditating, taking a walk in a natural setting, or reaching out spiritually or through prayer. Quiet reflection, alone or in the company of others, can improve your state of mind, strengthen your sense of self and community, and give you time away from a hectic schedule to collect your thoughts and re-energize for the week ahead.

Monday – Make a plan. Decide what tasks you need to complete for the week and make a plan for when and how to do them. If you are overscheduled, decide what can wait a week or two. If you don’t have much on your schedule, plan some activities you’ll look forward to.

Tuesday – Surround yourself with supportive people. Make plans with family members and friends, or seek out activities at which you can meet new people, such as a club, class or support group. Reconnect with someone you have lost touch with and create new memories.

Thursday – Give of yourself. Volunteer your time and energy to help someone else. You’ll feel good about doing something tangible to help someone in need – and it’s a great way to meet new people who share your interests and compassion.

Friday – Broaden your horizons. Create a change of pace or expand your interests. Explore a new hobby, plant a garden, plan a road trip, try a new restaurant, take dance lessons, or learn to play an instrument or speak another language.

Saturday – Value yourself. Treat yourself with kindness and respect and avoid self-criticism. Take stock of the qualities you like about yourself, your accomplishments and abilities. Take some time every day to relax, reflect and rejuvenate.

Even in our busy world of scheduling, calendars, and planning, we may have the best intentions, but sometimes, things just don’t turn out the way we expected them to. If everything works out the way you planned, that’s great. If things don’t work out the way you planned, that can actually be a positive thing too, because change can open up new possibilities that you had not even imagined.

Give your best thought, effort and attention to the factors that you can control, but also give your full acceptance to the factors you cannot control.

What’s the best response when some unforseen event beyond your control prevents things from working out as planned? Acceptance. If you accept the situation, you will find the very best of the new possibilities that have been created and can move forward with those options, rather than dwell upon what could have been.

Acceptance does not mean that you agree with it or that you can resign yourself to live with the outcome of events that have occurred. Acceptance means that you see it for what it is and make positive use of it.

Instead of constantly worrying that something will come along to disrupt your plans, remind yourself that you can adapt to whatever may happen. Instead of being paralyzed by the fear of what you cannot control, be confident in knowing that even the most difficult situations harbor positive possibilities.

Learn not to fight against what has already happened or to be impeded by what “might” happen. Instead, choose to accept what is and use it as a springboard for magnificent success.